Mercedes-Benz Recalls Over 6,200 G-Class SUVs Over ESP Warning Display Defect

According to the report filled by Mercedes to NHTSA, Mercedes-Benz AG (“MBAG”), the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, has determined that on certain Model Year (“MY”) 2025 G-Class (465 platform) vehicles, warning telltales related to the ESP control unit might not meet the current regulatory requirements. In the event of an independent hardware failure of the ESP system, certain functions of the system (e.g. ESP, ABS, recuperation) would be deactivated. The driver would be made aware of the issue via warning telltales in the instrument cluster, however, the displayed warning telltales might not accurately represent the deactivated function. Furthermore, in the event of a deactivated recuperation system, the respective malfunction indicator lamp might not be activated as intended.

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Consequently, certain requirements of FMVSS 101 and 126 might not be fulfilled. Due to incorrect warning telltales in the instrument cluster, an increased risk of a crash cannot be ruled out. Due to a deviation in a supplier's software development process, an incorrect assignment of the warning messages might have been implemented in the software of the ESP control unit.

Mercedes-Benz attributed the issue to a software development error by Bosch Engineering GmbH, the component supplier. An internal investigation was launched after the supplier reported the problem in October 2024. A corrected version of the software was introduced into production by December 2024, and affected vehicles still in the manufacturer’s possession were addressed through a plant campaign.

On April 11, 2025, Mercedes-Benz determined that a compliance issue could not be ruled out and opted to proceed with a formal recall. There have been no reports of warranty claims or incidents linked to this issue in the U.S.

To deal with the issue, authorized Mercedes-Benz dealerships will update the ESP software free of charge. Vehicles built after January 29, 2025, already have the corrected software. Notifications will be sent to dealers starting April 24, 2025, with customer notices expected before June 17, 2025.